Inspiring Next Generation Entrepreneurs: This is Brian Jackson
Brian Jackson is a President, Co-Founder, Engineer, Architect, and leader empowering people and creating innovative solutions. He has built and mentored world-class cross-functional teams, improving efficiencies, and overall technology vision, and strategy moving companies forward. He co-founded his current company, BurstIQ, with one mission: to enable this next era of health. Brian believes that each person deserves to live their healthiest, happiest life, and that data will democratize health on both a global and an individual level.
I caught up with him last week to ask him a few questions about his entrepreneurial journey.
1) What inspired you to be an entrepreneur?
All the way back to being a child, I have always been much more of a leader than a follower. I have always had that take charge and get things done attitude, instead of waiting to be told what to do. As an entrepreneur, you get to solve complex problems and lead teams to success. Knowing that any given day could lead to a breakthrough is what gets me out of bed every morning. Lastly, I enjoy the trials and tribulations that come with being an entrepreneur. Some people say that being an entrepreneur is too full of ups and downs and bumps and bruises. For me, I love the excitement of being in that lane every day.
2) How are you making a positive difference in the world?
I have always done my best to lead by example, and encourage those who follow to do the same. I believe strongly in treating everyone with respect, and never prejudge anyone. I lead with optimism even in a potentially negative situation. We face many challenges throughout life and in business, if you allow yourself to get negative it rubs off on other people around you.
3) What has been the greatest positive impact you have seen your clients or customers face from working directly with you?
One of the most thrilling aspects of working with clients is doing something that they were told was either impossible or too challenging to complete. And then taking a really bad situation or project that is causing a bottle kneck in their business and turning it into a successful outcome. There’s no better feeling knowing that your company was able to solve the client’s problem and then see their business flourish.
4) What does being a purpose-driven business mean to you?
Having a clearly defined goal that you are trying to achieve. Having a passion for your goal, and then rallying your entire team around believing in that goal. At BurstIQ, we believe that the health industry is at a tipping point. Technologies now exist that will break down these silos and enable health data to be connected on a global scale. These connections are ushering in the next era of health. And with each new connection, our collective human intelligence will grow stronger.
5) How did you pivot your business during the pandemic?
We didn’t really pivot during the pandemic but rather changed our focus on specific areas. A lot changed very quickly, so we had to rethink on which business models were affected temporarily and which areas were changed permanently. We also took a step back and enhanced our product and offering tailored towards what we believe will be the new normal moving forward.
6) What are your top 5 tips for new or aspiring entrepreneurs?
Have a clear and concise vision from the beginning. Take inputs from others to enhance your vision, but don’t let others steer you from your vision which is where your passion lies.
Make sure you are solving a problem and at the end, there is an ROI for the buyer. Your vision may or may not translate to customers or investors.
Plan big and start small. Too many entrepreneurs either try to tackle too much at one time, or they didn’t take the time to plan for growth and evolution which can lead to demise.
Reach out to advisors or mentors that have been through the process. There is so much to learn and so many different situations that you will be unprepared for and having someone to help you through those times is invaluable.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is sometimes a good thing. It shows you what not to do. Every highly successful person has had more failures than successes. That’s why they seem to make all the right decisions, from learning from all the wrong ones in the past.
Read the full article on Thrive Global.
About BurstIQ
BurstIQ is the leading provider of blockchain-enabled data solutions for the identity, healthcare and life sciences industries. The company’s secure data exchange network combines blockchain, multi-layered governance and best-in-class security to build multi-dimensional profiles, called LifeGraphs®, of people, places and things, and empower the connections between them. LifeGraph® Network allows organizations to manage the ownership and sharing of sensitive data, with consent, governance and process automation built in. The result is a global, secure data network that allows health systems, payers, digital health companies, pharma & life science companies and governments to collaborate, share, discover and build the impossible.
For more information visit: www.burstiq.com| Facebook| Twitter| LinkedIn| YouTube
